1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system pertaining to the automatic fuelling of vehicles, primarily automobiles, where a robot is used to open the fuel-tank flap of the vehicle on the one hand and to fuel the vehicle on the other hand.
2. Description of the Related Art
Swedish Patent Specification No. 8901674-5 describes such an automobile automatic fuelling system.
The system according to this earlier publication comprises a robot which includes a fuelling nozzle or the like, and a detecting and guiding system which functions to move the fuelling nozzle automatically from a rest position to a vehicle fuelling position, subsequent to the vehicle having been placed in a predetermined position relative to the robot. The fuelling nozzle includes a rigid, first tubular element which is moved by the robot towards and against an adapter provided with a hole belonging to the vehicle fuelling position. A flexible second tube is displaceably arranged within the first rigid tube and is moveable from a first end position in which the outer free end of the second tube is placed within the first tube, to a second end position in which the second tube projects out from the first tube. A tube connection is provided between said hole and the vehicle fuelling pipe. The robot is designed to move the free end of the second tube out of the first tube and down into the tube connection or down into the vehicle fuelling pipe, and pump fuel through the second tube down into the fuel tank of the vehicle.
Swedish Patent Specification No. 9202550-1 teaches a method of opening and closing the fuel tank flap of a vehicle.
According to this letter patent specification there is mounted on the vehicle a transponder which coacts with a transceiver unit on the robot head that contains information regarding the pattern of movement that the robot head shall carry out in respect of the vehicle concerned. The transceiver unit also coacts with the transponder to initially position the robot head relative to the vehicle.
One problem with the automatic fuelling of vehicle where the robot moves relative to a vehicle automatically is that people that are in the vicinity of the robot are in danger of being injured if they stand between the vehicle and the robot.
It is thus very desirable to be able to monitor the proximity of the robot with respect to the presence of people in the vicinity.
The present invention fulfils this desire in a very simple and positive manner.